The Falcons’ Tony Gonzalez isn’t ready to ride quietly into the sunset just yet.

And, Steelers safety Ryan Clark believes his team will be in the playoffs despite being winless.

Both may be looking at the NFL world through rose-colored glasses. But until someone actually knocks them off, it really is their only option.

The real world is not a happy, pleasant place at the moment. Both teams find themselves in unfamiliar territory, faced with seasons that are going in the wrong direction.

Atlanta is in a 1-4 free-fall. The Steelers are 0-4. And, nobody is quite sure when either will hit bottom.

“What are we going to do? Sit here and feel sorry for ourselves? I’m not going to throw my hands up and say the season’s over,” Gonzalez told reporters after the loss Monday to the Jets. “We still have a lot of football left to play, and I’m going to believe.

“And I expect my teammates to believe that we can turn this thing around after this bye week and get a couple of guys back and get healthy.”

Well, forget that last bit. When it comes to getting a complete lineup, Gonzalez might as well be trying to throw a rope around the moon. News filtered out of the Falcons’ practice site Tuesday that Julio Jones has an unspecified foot injury and could be lost for the season.

Jones has a league-leading 41 catches for 580 yards, second only to New Orleans’ Jimmy Graham, and two touchdowns this season. The Pro Bowler also leads the NFL with 248 yards after catches. Obviously his absence would be a huge blow to a team already handicapped by injuries to key players.

Jones would be the fourth starter placed on injured reserve since the start of the regular season, joining defensive end Kroy Biermann, fullback Bradie Ewing and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon. Combine that with an inconsistent O-line and defence that doesn’t make enough plays, and Gonzalez’s optimism — even if they do play the moribund Bucs, the hapless Panthers and schizoid Cardinals after the bye — appears misplaced.

“Whether it’s realistic or not, that’s up to you guys to say,” Gonzalez said. “But I’m going play my heart out. And I expect that from my teammates.”

The equally problematic Steelers, who play the suddenly resurgent Jets this week, meantime are refitting.

A franchise renowned for its stability, suddenly has little, with head coach Mike Tomlin moving players on both sides of the line of scrimmage around like chess pieces.

The Steelers returned to practice Tuesday in the knowledge that since the AFL-NFL merger, 183 teams have started the season 0-4, with only one of those, the 1992 Chargers, rebounding to make the playoffs.

Clark believes the Steelers can defy those odds. “I just believe we can win. That’s just the bottom line,” Clark told reporters. “I think we have the people in this room, the coaches. Also, looking at our schedule, we’re not playing world beaters, we’re not playing gods. We’re playing men.”

HE’S NO SAPP

Warren Sapp, the franchise’s all-time sacks leader, may be going into the Buccanners’ ring of honour later this season, but that isn’t stopping him from pointing out that crap is, well, not very good.

And right now the Bucs and in particular coach Greg Schiano, are looking crappy.

“If I’m down in Tampa, I’m questioning this whole thing because it’s a mafia style,” Sapp said. “I know (Mike) Glennon is not the quarterback that Josh Freeman is. There’s no question about it. The film tells me this. Practice tells me this. Even my quarterback demeanor tells me this. If you wouldn’t let Freeman throw the ball at the end of the game, why is Glennon throwing the ball at the end of the game?’’

Sapp said Schiano’s my-way-or-the-highway style is flawed: “Guys don’t believe in your way when you’re losing. And you lose the way they lost the first two weeks, you gave away those football games. And whenever you’ve given away football games, that means your style needs to change.”

GAME OF INCHES

With 90 seconds to play, Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning told tailback Knowshon Moreno he needs to get inside the one-yard line for a first down run — but do NOT cross the goal line. Manning wanted to run down the clock and kick a game-winning field goal (which they did), rather than score, kick off, and let the Cowboys have another chance to tie the game.

“He basically was asking me, ‘How am I supposed to do that? How can I get a half-yard but not get a yard and a half?‘” Manning told reporters. “I just said, ‘You can’t score! You can’t.’”

He didn’t. Making this perhaps the only time in his career that Moreno was thanked for coming up short of the goal line.

QUICK HITS

Pats tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has missed the first five weeks recovering from back surgery, is expected to return Sunday against the Saints ... Gonzalez reached a milestone Sunday, joining Jerry Rice as the only two players to catch passes in 200 consecutive games ... Nike is banging the drums about their futuristic uniforms for the Pro Bowl, a game that was long ago lost in the mists of time, along with rotary phones, Flower Power and bell-bottom pants ...Carolina starting left guard Amini Silatolu is out for the season after tearing an ACL ... The Packers don’t appear interested in bringing back Matt Flynn.

SMITH NOT SORRY

Panthers’ wide receiver Steve Smith knows he’s going to get hit.

But he ran a route right through commissioner Roger Goodell’s rule book anyway Tuesday, with harsh criticism of umpire Dan Ferrell.

Smith charged the official missed an interference call, and on another play messed up spotting the ball on a first-down catch.

“To be honest, I make enough money where if Roger (Goodell) wants to fine me, he can,” Smith said. “I really think that referee probably was the sorriest referee I have ever met.”

The league normally fines players and coaches for critical comments of officials, but that didn’t dissuade Smith, who dropped two passes, one that would’ve been a touchdown.

“No. 64, he was garbage,” said Smith, who was also called for offensive pass interference late in the third quarter of the Panthers loss to Arizona. “There is a lot of things I would let him hold, but nothing valuable.”

And, considering Smith’s own play of late, when it comes to sorry performances, he’d obviously be an expert on the topic.

Reeling Falcons in even more trouble with Julio Jones out long-term

The Falcons’ Tony Gonzalez isn’t ready to ride quietly into the sunset just yet.

And, Steelers safety Ryan Clark believes his team will be in the playoffs despite being winless.

Both may be looking at the NFL world through rose-colored glasses. But until someone actually knocks them off, it really is their only option.

The real world is not a happy, pleasant place at the moment. Both teams find themselves in unfamiliar territory, faced with seasons that are going in the wrong direction.

Atlanta is in a 1-4 free-fall. The Steelers are 0-4. And, nobody is quite sure when either will hit bottom.

“What are we going to do? Sit here and feel sorry for ourselves? I’m not going to throw my hands up and say the season’s over,” Gonzalez told reporters after the loss Monday to the Jets. “We still have a lot of football left to play, and I’m going to believe.

“And I expect my teammates to believe that we can turn this thing around after this bye week and get